Twisted
by give a lil' get a lil
Summary: Olivia's worst nightmare comes true when her precious four year old daughter becomes a victim.
1. Protection

"Mommy! Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Celia Benson jumped on her sleeping mom. "It's time to wake up!"

Olivia Benson smiled under the covers then shot up, attacking her little girl with tickles. Celia shrieked with laughter, kicking her legs in the air. Olivia smiled as she watched her daughter. Her _daughter._ She still couldn't wrap her mind around how perfect Celia was, and that she was _hers._

Almost five years ago, Olivia had a realization. She was never going to find someone. If she wanted a family, she would have to start it by herself. So, she thought about adoption. But she was a single woman, and a police officer. No adoption agency would even consider her. She knew she couldn't do it the old fashioned way, so she decided to try IVF- in vitro fertilization. It was expensive, and a long, not so fun process of hormone shots, uncomfortable doctor visits, and having to take off work so she could be less stressed, in order to help her chances with becoming pregnant. Most people who did IVF had to do at least two rounds. But it worked on the first try for Olivia, and, nine months later, she had her baby girl.

Celia was every mother's dream. She was adorable. She always said please, and thank you. She appreciated what she had, and was loving and sweet. Olivia could always count on her to make her smile, even if she had the worst day at work. Every night Celia would cuddle with her mom and tell her she was the best mommy ever. She would kiss her and hug her at random times, and tell her jokes Fin and Munch had taught her. She wouldn't complain if Olivia had to drop her off at Elliot's sometimes because she had to go to court or be somewhere. She would even try to dress up in Olivia's clothes sometimes. It was clear to anyone that Celia was the biggest mommy's girl ever. And Olivia loved her daughter with such a passion it was beautiful. Her eyes sparkled when she saw her. She smiled as she would watch her sleep. Before Celia, her work was her first priority—her only priority for that matter. But now, Celia came first, _always._

Olivia stopped tickling her little girl and pulled her into her arms. "How did you sleep?"

"I had a dream about you!" Celia looked up at her, beaming.

Olivia grinned. "Oh really?"

"Mhmm. I had a baby sister." Celia nuzzled into Olivia's neck, her voice a little sad now. "She was really cute, mommy. And you let me hold her and she was smiling at me, even though she was just a little baby."

Olivia blinked, rubbing her daughter's hair and holding her close. "That sounds like a good dream, baby." She tried her best not to sound upset.

Celia pulled away, her big brown eyes bright. "It was. Do you think that I'll ever have a little sister, mommy?"

Smiling sadly at her little girl, Olivia kissed her forehead and took her hand, leading her to the kitchen. Celia asked for an Eggo and chocolate milk, so Olivia got her both, while Celia sat on the couch and watched Little Einstein's. While she got her daughter breakfast, she thought about what Celia had said. _"Will I ever have a little sister, mommy?" _The words haunted her.

Of course she wanted to have more kids. She had always dreamed of having two, maybe three kids. But that had been assuming she would have a husband. That obviously wasn't happening, though. Celia was a good girl, but she was still a handful for Olivia, because of her job. Special Victims Unit was Olivia's home, and the people there were her family. She couldn't imagine ever leaving it, even if she did meet Mr. Right. It was too big a part of her. And that meant sacrifice. She had known she wouldn't be able to have a traditional family. But she did want to give Celia a little brother or sister. _One day._ She promised herself.

Celia ate her breakfast and talked to Olivia about her friends at school. She spoke with the happiness in her voice only a child could have. She told Olivia about how she was planning to play with her friend, Grace, soon. She chattered on and on about the puppies she had seen at the pound on a recent field trip, and how cute they were. She asked Olivia if they could get a puppy, and Olivia told her maybe. After breakfast, Olivia helped Celia pick out an outfit to wear to school, and made her a lunch that she put in Celia's pink backpack. Celia brushed her teeth, and brushed her hair. She asked Olivia to put a pink bow in her hair, and Olivia did. Olivia helped her put on her sandals, and then walked her to her preschool, a few blocks down.

When Olivia got back to her apartment, she cleaned up Celia's breakfast, then took a quick, steaming hot shower, and got dressed. She did her makeup and grabbed her purse, then drove to work, still thinking about Celia's dream.

* * *

><p>"Morning, Liv." Elliot Stabler told his partner as she walked into the squad room, just barely on time.<p>

"Morning." She gave him a tight-lipped smile and took a sip of coffee she had picked up on the way there. She sat down at her desk and opened a file that was on it. Her heart broke at the picture inside. It was a little girl, probably only a few years older than Celia, dead. Her throat had bruises on it, indicating she had been choked to death. "Oh my god." She breathed.

"I know." Elliot stood over her desk, his own coffee in his hand. He set it down on her desk. "Captain called me at two last night after someone found her in an alley."

"Why didn't anyone call me?" She demanded, giving Elliot a half confused look.

Elliot shrugged. "Cragen told me it was a little girl." He told her nonchalantly, leaning against her desk and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay. I've seen plenty of little girls that have been raped, El."

Sighing, Elliot put a big hand on her shoulder. "I just didn't want you to see that. It was a raped, and murdered seven year old. I thought it would hit too close to home for you. I was trying to protect you, Liv."

Olivia stood up abruptly, closing the file. "I'm your partner. You don't have to protect me, Elliot."

Elliot stared after her as she walked towards the captain's office, obviously annoyed with him. Even though she didn't know it, Elliot knew what was best for her and how to protect her.

One day she would see.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Thank you for reading! If you haven't already guessed, this will be an Elliot/Olivia romance, as well as family drama. I already have the next few chapters written, and the more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! I'll take criticism, praise, and ideas :)**

**-M**


	2. Sweet & Salty

Celia's pre-school offered care from 7:30 in the morning till 8:00 at night. Celia's bed time was 7:00 though, so Olivia usually didn't leave Celia there that long, but she had been in the interrogation room for over five hours, grilling their suspected perp with Elliot. Elliot had been right—this case had hit close to home for Olivia, but that only made her want to nail the guy even more. It wasn't until the very end of the day that Munch had come in, saying the guys alibi checked out, and they had had to let him go.

"Hey, sweetie." Olivia greeted her daughter and put her hand on top of her head. She signed her out in the log in the front office after showing the secretary her ID.

"Hi, mommy." Celia smiled fondly at her mother, pulling a rolled up piece of paper out of her backpack. "I made this for you." She handed it to Olivia.

Taking the slightly crumpled paper, Olivia looked at it, smiling for the first time since she had dropped off Celia that morning.

"It's me, and you, and Elliot, mommy." Celia explained as she pointed at the picture.

It _was _Elliot, Olivia, and Celia. They were standing on green grass it looked like, all holding hands. Celia was in-between them, and they all had huge smiles on her face. There was a yellow sun in the left corner, and two blue clouds in the sky. They all looked so happy.

Olivia put a hand on her daughter's head and ruffled her hair gently. "It's beautiful, Cece."

Celia smiled from ear to ear.

"Let's go." Olivia guided her out the door.

"What'd you do at school today, baby?" Olivia asked Celia as she held her hand and walked down the sidewalk.

"I drew pictures alllll day! For all my friends." She told her mother, skipping happily.

"That sounds like a lot of fun." Olivia smiled down at her, relishing her innocence.

"What'd you do at work, mommy?" Celia looked up at her, cocking her head a little bit, just like Olivia sometimes did when she was interrogating people.

Celia was too young to understand her mom's job. Olivia told her she helped keep everyone safe by putting bad people in jail. Sometimes Cece would ask her what _specifically _she had done that day, and it always surprised Olivia.

Olivia stopped walking and crouched down next to her daughter, fixing her fuzzy scarf. "Today I missed you all day, cutie." She tickled Celia's stomach, and she erupted in a fit of giggles.

Celia took her mom's hand back in hers and started walking again, that ever-present skip in her step making Olivia smile unwillingly.

"Cece, I was thinking we could go to the pound this weekend and play with the puppies?" Olivia raised her eyebrows.

Celia gasped. "Really mommy?"

"Really." Olivia smiled, nodding.

"Yes! Yay! Thank you, mommy!" Celia jumped on her mother in a monkey hug, and Olivia decided she didn't want to take her home, so she just carried her on her hip all the way back to their little apartment. Celia smiled at a little boy who looked sad she saw over her mom's shoulder, and she was very pleased when he smiled back. She knew she had made someone happy, at least for a second, and that made her happy.

Like mother, like daughter.

* * *

><p>After Olivia fed Celia, gave her a bath, and put her to bed, she plopped down on her couch with the file of the little girl she had been trying to crack all day. She tapped a pencil against her chin as she re-read the parents statements, and everything that they had told her and Elliot about their daughter.<p>

Her name was Emily Dunkin. She had just turned seven years old, and she attended a private school in the Upper East Side. No one she knew had any idea who would do something like that to her, but that was something to be expected—they had pretty much decided that Emily had been a stranger to her rapist and killer. Emily had gone to school that day, and when she didn't come home at four, they had called the police. Officers had been searching for her for over nine hours when a civilian called 911, saying there was a body of a little blonde girl in an alley. Elliot and Olivia had been trying to think of different scenarios all day, and they thought they had their guy. But he had an alibi. So they had to start all over.

Olivia looked up when her phone beeped on the coffee table. She put the file in her lap and picked it up. It was a text from Elliot, asking if she was awake. She replied, _yes._ He told her to go to bed. She told him she wouldn't be able to sleep until they figured this case out. He said he couldn't sleep either, and asked if she wanted company. She smiled when she read that, and told him to come over.

Elliot and Kathy had had a mutual divorce a little over two years ago, and since then, Elliot had seemed much less stressed. He and Olivia had started being together outside of work, especially on nights where they both couldn't sleep. And Celia _loved _it when Elliot came over. He treated her as if she was one of his own. Whenever Olivia needed a babysitter, she only trusted Celia with him. She especially liked being with Elliot when he had Eli with him. They got along great, and Eli was only two months older than Celia. Elliot was Olivia's best friend; he had been for over twelve years. She was happy with where their relationship was, especially now that she knew he wasn't married to Kathy. He was her other half, pretty much.

Olivia continued going over the file until she heard Elliot knock lightly on the door. She dropped the papers on the couch and quickly answered the door, letting Elliot in. He greeted her with a one-armed hug, and she smiled against his chest. It was good to be with Elliot.

"Lookin' good, Liv." He joked as he took in her nighttime ensemble—baggy navy blue sweatpants, worn-in slippers, an old NYPD t-shirt, and her shoulder-length hair pulled in a messy bun. Even though he had just ragged on her outfit, he thought she looked nice, completely comfortable and at ease.

"Hey!" she punched his rock-hard shoulder. "Watch it."

He smiled at her and followed her into the kitchen, where she pulled two wine glasses from a cabinet and a bottle of red wine. She poured each of their glasses halfway and handed one to Elliot.

"Thanks, Liv." Elliot walked into the living room and made himself at home on the couch, putting his feet on the coffee table and his glass of wine on the table next to the couch. He grabbed the file, pulling a few papers out.

Olivia sat on the other end of the couch, holding her glass with both hands in front of her face and watching the red liquid swirl around. "What if we never find this guy, El?" she looked up, making eye contact with him. "What if he gets away with what he did to this poor girl?"

"Liv." Elliot shook his head. "You know we'll get him. We always do."

She nodded numbly and looked away, clearly not convinced.

Elliot sighed and put the papers down for a second, using his hands as he spoke. "I know it seems like we're at a dead end, but there has to be something else. We're missing something, and we'll figure it out. I promise, Liv."

"I hope." She said, breathing deeply, a sad look on her face.

Elliot patted her knee and handed her half the file. "Tomorrow we should—"

"Elliot? What're you doin' here?" Celia asked, coming into the family room and rubbing her sleepy eyes. When she said 'Elliot' it came out as 'Ewwiot', due to her little-kid lisp. All her L's came out as W's, and everyone who heard it thought it was the most adorable thing.

"I came to spend some time with your mommy, munchkin." Elliot smiled. "I like your princess jammies."

Celia frowned. "They're fairies." She corrected him, walking up to him and hopping on his lap. "See their wands?" She pointed.

"Ohh. I see." He hugged her tightly, loving the way she smelled just like Olivia.

Olivia was smiling at the sight of Elliot and Celia when she noticed the file was open in the middle of the couch, and the picture of Emily Dunkin's dead body was right on top. She quickly snatched it up and closed it; thanking God Cece hadn't seen it. "What are you doing up so late, sweetie?"

"I woke up and heard you and Elliot." She said softly, cozying into Elliot's strong arms and closing her eyes. She grabbed Elliot's hand and held it. "Can I stay up with you guys? Please, mommy!"

Just as Olivia was about to say no, Elliot said, "Of course you can, squirt. How about you tell me about the puppies your mom was telling me so much about?"

Celia grinned against Elliot's chest. "There was so many of them. The little ones were my favorite. They all came and sat in my lap, and licked me all over!" she told him, not moving. She just lay there in his arms, perfectly happy as she went on and on about the dogs.

Elliot rubbed her back soothingly, his cheek resting against her head. He listened to every word she said, but kept his eyes on Olivia, who didn't seem to be paying attention. She was looking at something across the room, in her own world. She looked worried. Elliot hated that she was thinking so much about little Emily Dunkin's case. It was taking a toll on her, he could tell.

After about five minutes of non-stop talking, Celia stopped mid-sentence, her words turning into soft snoring. Elliot smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Liv, I'm gonna go tuck her in, okay?" When Olivia didn't answer, he nudged her softly with his foot. "Liv?"

"Oh." Olivia snapped back into focus, blinking. "Sure, go ahead." She nodded and pushed her hair back, smiling a little at Celia's sleeping face.

Elliot carried Celia into her room, being an expert of doing this, since he had five kids of his own. He pulled the covers back and placed her gently on the bed, putting her head down softly on the pillow. He pulled the covers back up, tucking them under her chin so she wouldn't get cold in the freezing January air. "Goodnight, princess." Elliot kissed her forehead and rubbed her hair back from her face, just as he use to do to Kathleen, Maureen, and Lizzie. He decided to stay for a while, so he sat down in the rocker in the corner. He watched Celia as she slept.

She was a spitting image of Olivia. Her dark brown hair was slightly wavy, and Olivia had never brought her to get it cut, so it was down to the middle of her back. She had Olivia's big, dark eyes, and round face. She had rosy cheeks, and a small button nose. She had Olivia's thin, expressive eyebrows, which made her very animated when she talked. She wasn't tall for her age; she was actually kind of short. And she was very lean for a little girl, perfectly proportioned. When you looked at her you could tell she was going to look just like Olivia when she got older.

"El?" Olivia whispered softly, standing in the doorway.

Elliot tore his eyes away from Celia, and turned to Olivia. "Yeah."

"You've been in here for almost twenty minutes, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." She told him, leaning against the wall with her wineglass in one hand.

"Yeah." He stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Yeah, I'm fine." He walked over to Olivia, and put his hands on her waist. She felt tiny under her t-shirt. Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed her. It was just a kiss. It lingered though. Elliot could taste the red wine on her lips, and smell the sweetness of her. He pulled her close to him and it felt _great._ He pulled away, his eyes meeting hers. Her eyes were wide.

Olivia's heart hammered in her chest. She felt like she was about to drop her glass. "El?"

Elliot removed his hands from her waist and backed away. "Sorry. I should go." He walked out of the room without waiting for her, grabbed his coat, and left.

Olivia stayed where she was. Her heart was still beating hard and fast. Her hips buzzed where Elliot's hands had been. Her lips tasted like Elliot—salty, manly. It was hard to describe. It was just… _Elliot._

Even though she wouldn't admit it to herself, _Elliot _was her new favorite flavor.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Ah, finally some EO! I know it's not exactly romance, but trust me there will be! I would love to have made them take that kiss farther just now, admit they're in love with each other, have them elope, and live happily ever after, but that just doesn't seem right. So be ****patient, they will be together soon enough.**

**On another note, I got a lot more reviews for chapter one than I was planning to! I'm glad so many people are interested in this story, I've been working really hard on it.**

**I would love to hear your ideas and opinions, so please leave a review!**

**-M**


	3. Something

The next morning when Olivia got to the squad room Elliot was already in the interrogation room with a new suspect, for a new case. Olivia was kind of relieved; she didn't know what to say after last night. After Elliot had left she had lay in bed for hours staring at the ceiling. She had never been this confused.

"Good morning, Olivia." Don Cragen greeted her as he walked across the squad room.

"Morning captain." She replied, half out of it.

"Twenty minutes ago, there was a 911 call in the Bronx, a neighbor heard screaming. When paramedics got there the perp was knifing a young woman's legs, and she lost a lot of blood. She's at Mercy now; I think you should be there when she wakes up to get her statement. Her name is Laura." His voice was tired, and had sort of a I'm-getting-too-old-for-this tone.

Olivia nodded. "I'll go now." She was glad for an excuse to get out of SVU—less of a chance to have to talk to Elliot.

And less of a chance she would have to think about the _incident._

* * *

><p>When Olivia got to the hospital all she had to do was flash her badge and ask for Laura. An old lady at the circulation desk directed her to room 326. Olivia knocked on the door lightly before she walked in.<p>

"Hi, Laura? I'm detective Olivia Benson."

Laura was probably in her mid-twenties, Olivia guessed. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, and bangs. Her eyes were a mossy green, and she looked pretty tall. She was really pretty.

"Hi." She nodded.

Olivia sat on the edge of the bed. "I just need to ask you a few questions about your attack."

Laura nodded again.

"Do you know the man that attacked you?"

Gulping, Laura closed her eyes. "I met him last night at a club. We hooked up, and in the morning when I woke up he was staring at me. It freaked me out. He said he felt something last night." She shuddered a little and looked away. "I just thought he was a creep. But I told him it was nice. He said he wanted me to be his girlfriend, and I told him I wasn't interested, and I had to go to work. Then… he punched me. I started screaming, and he just went crazy. He went into my kitchen and I followed him in there. He tied my hands behind my back with my cell phone charger and he grabbed one of my steak knives. Before I knew what he was doing, he knocked me down on the floor. He started…" there were tears running down her cheeks now.

"Take your time." Olivia told her.

Laura gulped again and continued. "He started cutting my legs with the knife. It stung and I screamed and screamed until the police got there."

Olivia nodded. "Thank you, Laura. We'll make sure this guy goes to prison for a long time." She stood up to go.

"Olivia?"

"Yes, Laura?" Olivia answered in her soothing voice she used on victims to make them feel comfortable.

"Could I call my parents? They live in Jersey and I really want to see them."

"Yeah." Olivia smiled and picked up the cordless phone from its cradle on the bedside table. Laura couldn't reach it because of her IV. "Here you go."

Laura took it gratefully. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Elliot was grilling a thirty-something guy back at the station.<p>

"So, you're telling me you _didn't _cut that girl's legs with a knife? You're really telling me that? When police walked in on you holding a bloody knife, standing over her? What'd she do, reject you?"

Peter Hall shook his head. "I have the right to remain silent."

"I bet you wish Laura had done that. If she had stayed silent, who knows what would have happened. Would you have killed her, Peter? Sliced her legs completely off?" Elliot stood on the other side of the table, his face inches from Peter's. "Because that's what lowlifes like you do. You torture girls you can't get."

Peter smiled. "You have no idea what you're talking about, detective."

"Actually, he does." Olivia said, walking in. "I just got back from the hospital, and guess what, Pete? Laura told me everything." She stood right next to him and crouched down eye-level. "Even about how your little thing wasn't up to her standards." She gestured to his pants.

"Laura didn't say that." Peter narrowed his eyes at Olivia. "Why don'tcha see for yourself, detective?"

Olivia laughed. "So you can knife me up when it's over? No thanks! And frankly, scumbags like you aren't my type. Sorry."

Elliot smiled as he watched Olivia insult Peter. Despite what had happened that night, they were still working together flawlessly like it had never happened. "Why don't you man up and admit to what you did, instead of making yourself seem even dumber than you are?" He wanted to roll his eyes, but he kept them locked with Peter's. "Come on, Pete. Tell us all about how you tortured Laura Adams."

Peter's eyes darted back and forth. "I did it. We had sex, and in the morning she told me that she'd _had fun, but it was just a hookup,_ and that I had to get outta there. I got mad. So I tied her up and cut her. The little bitch deserved it, though! She—"

"Peter Hall, you are under arrest for armed assault." Olivia cuffed him behind his back, the metal cool in her hands. "You have the right to remain silent. If you choose to ignore that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you." She smiled as she pushed him through the door, to the holding mini-jail in the precinct.

Ah, the smell of justice in the morning!

* * *

><p>"Liv!" Fin called out just as Olivia was about to get into the elevator at 6:00.<p>

Olivia turned around. "Yeah!"

"Laura just called, said she wants to talk to you at the hospital, now."

A small groan came from Olivia's thin lips. This would be the second day she would have to pick up Celia later than usual. "El?" she called, going back into the main room and spotting him biting into a sandwich at his desk.

All day they had worked together like normal, completely avoiding what had happened the night before. They didn't talk about anything, except for the cases they were working, and they both avoided eye contact, or _any _contact for that matter. Actually, they both tried to stay a few feet away from each other at all times, especially when they had lunch with Fin and Munch. They never brought up the kiss, but both of them thought about it all day, and how they could bring it up casually. Neither of them thought of any possible way to talk about it. But still, they thought about it.

"You want me to pick up Celia?" he asked through a mouthful of ham and Swiss.

"Please." Olivia smiled a little.

"You got it." Elliot nodded, swallowing. "I'll take her to my place, and you can get her on your way back from the hospital."

Olivia thanked him with her eyes, and then left for the hospital, hoping it wouldn't take long.

Because recently attacked victims always called Olivia after her shift, just to say hello, right?

* * *

><p>The hospital had taken longer than Olivia had expected. Laura had just wanted to know if they had the guy in jail yet, and Olivia had to explain the whole process of arraignment, the actual trial, and sentencing. After that Laura was scared he would get her before arraignment. Olivia told her arraignment was tomorrow, and there was no possible way he could get to her because he was in custody of police officers at the precinct. Laura then became hysterical, thanking her profusely. All in all, it had taken a good forty-five minutes to get in and out. So, when she pulled up next to Elliot's building, she was very excited to see her daughter.<p>

"El? Cece? It's me!" she said as she knocked on the door.

When the door opened, she expected to see Celia grinning up at her. But instead it was Elliot, who looked worried. "Liv." He stepped into the hall, closing the door a little behind him, but not totally.

"What is it?" Olivia's eyebrows crinkled together and she tried to look past him to make sure Cece was okay.

Elliot looked at her in the eyes for the first time all day. "I don't know if it's anything, but since I picked Cece up, she hasn't said one word."

Olivia was more confused now, and her face showed it. "What?"

"Not one word. I asked her teacher about it, and she said she had been quiet most of the day. It could be nothing."

Olivia pushed past him. Of course it was something. Her daughter was the most talkative, happy four-year-old alive. There was no way that if she just _stopped_ talking, it was nothing. "Cece, honey?" she asked softly as she walked over to where Celia was sitting on the couch. One of Celia's favorite shows was on, but she wasn't watching. There was a bowl of pizza-flavored goldfish, Celia's favorite food, in a bowl on the table, untouched. Celia's normally lively brown eyes were flat and dead. "Baby, what's wrong?" Olivia scooped up her daughter in her arms, worried beyond measure by now.

Elliot had followed her in and now stood next to her, looking equally as worried.

Celia didn't answer, but she buried her face in her mom's neck and took in a shuddering breath.

Olivia rubbed her back soothingly, giving Elliot a terrified look.

What was wrong with her little girl?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Cliffhangerrrrr! Haha, this is where the actual story starts. I've been updating pretty fast, so leave a review in return?(:**

**-M**


	4. Nothing

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead."

Olivia sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, rubbing her back. She hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep last night. All night she had lay on her back, thinking about poor little Emily Dunkin, Celia's weird silence—which she wasn't too worried about, since it had only been that night—and, most of all, Elliot. Why had he kissed her? She just wanted to know why. And why she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Celia stirred under the covers, rolling over to face Olivia. Her dark hair was knotty and splayed out around her on the pillow. She was biting her lip in a sort of small smile, and she sniffled a little as she met her mother's eyes, identical to her own.

"Did you have any more good dreams?" Olivia smiled.

Celia didn't answer her. She just stared, her face not changing expression.

"Cece?" Olivia asked quietly, a little scared. She pushed her daughter's hair back soothingly.

The toddler's face still was unchanged. Her big brown eyes blinked every few seconds, but that was it.

Olivia swallowed. "Let's go get some breakfast, sweetie." She forced herself to smile and picked Celia up under her arms, carrying her into the kitchen. Celia didn't say anything; she just laid her head on her mom's shoulder silently.

When she got to the kitchen, she set Celia down on the white linoleum. Celia stood still, her pink and white polka-dotted pajama clad arms at her sides. She looked blank, indifferent. "Alright, what do you want for breakfast, Celia Bodilia?" Olivia used the rhyme she sometimes called her daughter, which always made her giggle. But still, Celia just stared at her.

Olivia opened the fridge. "How about some orange juice? And maybe some yogurt?"

Celia didn't reply. She didn't even move.

Olivia's mouth opened a little bit. Why wasn't Celia talking? "What do you want, baby?" she crouched down next to her, grabbing her little hands. "You can pick anything."

Celia stared at her.

"Ice cream?" Olivia raised her eyebrows, smiling a little. This was sure to get Celia to talk. "Pizza goldfish?"

Celia remained silent. She didn't even look excited at the idea of goldfish and ice cream for breakfast.

"Celia? What's wrong, honey?" Olivia put her hands on either side of Olivia's face. She stared into her eyes, willing her to speak. "You can talk to me, baby."

It was so small of a movement that Olivia couldn't tell, but she thought Celia shook her head no. Celia had never said no to Olivia. She told her everything. She was only four, what did she have to hide?

Good question.

* * *

><p>"Benson! My office." Cragen called to Olivia as soon as she walked into the squad room.<p>

Olivia walked into his office, closing the door behind her. She sat on the couch across from his desk, feeling as if she was about to fall asleep.

He squinted at her. "Having trouble sleeping?"

"Thanks for noticing." She replied sarcastically.

The captain laughed. "Liv, this is about Laura. Fin said you went to see her last night?"

"Yeah, she called right as I was about to leave. What about it?" Olivia was resting her head in her hand.

Cragen crossed his hands and then uncrossed them. "She called again after you left, yelled at Munch for a while. She said you told her Peter Hall wasn't going to jail?"

Olivia sat up, completely alert. "What? No, I told her arraignment was today, and then there was the trial and sentencing. I told her he would be in jail soon."

Leaning back in his chair, Don sighed. "That's not what Laura said. She was very upset, and she said you made her feel unsafe. She insisted a patrol officer was sent to her hospital room for the night, because she was scared Peter would come after her again."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Please. I told her he was in police custody."

"Look, Liv. I know you're good with the victims, just try to be a little more clear next time you're talking to someone as paranoid as Laura."

Standing up, the detective walked to the door. "Gotcha."

"Liv!" Elliot called, a huge smile on his face when Olivia walked out of the captain's office. "How's Cece doin'?"

Olivia remained standing when she got to her desk and looked down, then up at Elliot. "She didn't talk at all this morning. No emotion at all."

Elliot looked surprised. "Really?"

Olivia nodded, scratching behind her neck. "I'm worried; she's never not talked. Since her first word, all she does is talk!"

"Who? Cece?" Munch asked, butting in from his desk almost halfway across the room. He did look worried-well, as worried as Munch could look. "Is the little twerp okay?"

"Yeah, she's just going through a phase. Don't worry about it, Munch!" Elliot yelled back. Then he lowered his voice for Olivia. "That's all it is, Liv. It's just a phase."

"You better be right, Stabler." Olivia threatened, shaking her finger at him in a joking way and chuckling. It was just a phase, like Elliot had said. Maybe she had just gotten tired of talking non-stop, all the time.

Denial isn't a river in Egypt.

* * *

><p>After looking in on an interrogation Elliot was doing and telling Olivia his diagnosis of the guy, Huang surprised Olivia by asking about Celia. "How's Celia been doing lately? She hasn't come by in a while."<p>

Olivia looked away the two-way mirror, cocking her head at Huang. "She's… Well, she's Celia." Olivia laughed and Huang smiled.

"You've been distracted today, Olivia." He observed. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

_Damn, he's good._ Olivia thought. "El picked up Cece from school last night, and since then, she hasn't said anything." She admitted, wondering why she hadn't asked the doctor about Celia's change of attitude sooner.

Huang's eyebrows knit together. "Really. That's unusual. Whenever I see her, she's usually so…"

"Loud?" Olivia suggested, smiling a little.

"I was going to say rambunctious." He looked confused. "That's odd that she would just stop talking. Some kids her age go through identity crisis." He offered.

Olivia's eyebrows crinkled together. "What, like a mid-life crisis?"

"Sort of similar. When children are young, they don't think about who they are, and what their personality is like. It's usually brought on by a bully or someone telling them there's something wrong with the way they act. For example, if someone told Celia she talked too much. They start to think there's something wrong with them, and are afraid to speak." He explained, sounding straight out of a physiatrist dictionary.

Olivia couldn't imagine anyone, even a little bully, finding a flaw in Celia's happy, bubbly personality.

Huang saw the look on her face, and knew what she was thinking. "Why don't you bring her to work with you tomorrow? I'll try to talk to her, see what I can find out."

Pursing her lips, Olivia nodded. That didn't sound like a bad idea. "I have court tomorrow, I'll bring her on Thursday."

"Great." He smiled. "But I'm sure it'll have blown over by then, Liv."

_I hope so._ Olivia wanted to say, but she didn't want to sound scared. If she sounded scared, then she would have to admit to herself that everything might not be okay, and she wasn't ready to do that yet. She watched Elliot rough the guy up a little, then got in there with him, playing the good cop roll. If there was one thing that could get her mind off of Celia, it was working.

But today, she just couldn't push her daughter's blank, silent stare out of her head.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Aw, you can always count on good 'old Huang right?(; But poor Liv! I feel bad putting her through this. We'll find out what happened to Cece soon though. In the meantime, any guesses? Also, next chapter has a veryyy fun EO part. Hint: Elliot's sleeping over. Review if you want to see it up soon!**

**-M**


	5. One Hell of a Mom

That night Olivia still couldn't get anything out of Celia. She went through their normal routine of making dinner (macoroni and cheese tonight), giving Celia a bath (she even used the strawberry bubble bath, Celia's favorite), and getting her ready for bed. She tucked Celia into bed at exactly seven thirty. Celia didn't talk or communicate at all the whole time. Olivia kissed her on the forehead goodnight, and told her she could come sleep in her room if she wanted to. After leaving Celia's room, Olivia went and made herself some coffee- she had some paperwork to do.

The apartment was eerily quiet as Olivia made her coffee, poured it in a big thermos, and settled in on the couch with a stack of papers and a clipboard. After less than two minutes of sitting there, Olivia got back up and went into Celia's room quietly.

Celia was so peaceful while she slept. You could see her little purple veins through her thin eyelids, which fluttered while she dreamt. Her mouth was in a small _O _shape, and her hair formed sort of a halo around her on the pillow. Her tiny, loose fists were up by her ears, as if surrendering to something. She had been sleeping in that position since she was a newborn baby. When you looked at her, she looked like a sleeping angel, perfect. A few tears slid down Olivia's cheeks as she watched her sleeping baby.

_Beep beep._

Her phone let out a small ring, and Olivia jumped a little at the sudden noise. She had forgotten to change out of her work clothes, and her phone was still in her pocket. It was Elliot, calling. She stepped into the hall and put the phone to her ear. "Hey, El."

"Liv." He greeted her, and she could hear him smiling. Obviously, he was expecting good news. "How're you doing? How's Cece?"

Swallowing, Olivia switched her phone to her other ear. "Still no word."

There was a pause on the other end. "Do you want me to come over for a little while?" he sounded nervous asking.

Well he should be nervous; he had kissed her and left without an explanation the last time he had come over! But Olivia did need help with her paperwork, and she was getting especially involved with the Emily Dunkin case—imagine that—so she wanted to talk about that some more. That's all they would be doing. Talking. "Yeah, you can come over. Bring your paperwork. You know the code, and I'll unlock the door."

Elliot sounded relieved when he heard that. "Alright, I'll be over soon."

"'Kay, bye, El."

"Bye, Liv."

Olivia hung up, then went to unlock the front door. When she got there it was already unlocked; she had never locked it when she got home. She really needed to get a grip on herself. She returned to Celia's room and sat on her bed, staring at her daughter.

"Liv."

Startled, Olivia turned around quickly, ready to attack. "God, you scared me!" she hissed, standing up and giving him her _what-are-you-thinking?_ look he had gotten from her for the last twelve years.

"Sorry." He whispered back, smiling cockily. "How long have you been in here?"

"Long enough for my coffee to get cold." She shook her half-full thermos of now-cold coffee.

"Come on." Elliot jerked his head toward the door. "Staring at her while she sleeps won't make her talk."

Olivia sighed and left the room.

"Although, she is very cute when she's asleep." Elliot added, closing the door softly behind them.

* * *

><p>An hour later, the two detectives had finished their paperwork. They sat on their respective ends of the couch, still being careful not to get too close. Olivia had re-heated the rest of the coffee, and she was still sipping it. Elliot had actually brought a six-pack of beers, and a bottle sat between his knees, two others on the table.<p>

"Liv, I know you're really worried about Cece, but it's probably nothing. In the morning she'll probably wake you up screaming and laughing, like the Cece we know and love." Elliot said, out of nowhere. He took a swig of his beer and watched Olivia.

"Yeah, you're right. Probably. I talked to her teacher though, and she said Celia stayed isolated all day, and never talked to anyone." Olivia nodded, beginning to believe Elliot's latest theory. "It's just not like her."

Elliot shrugged at the new information as if it didn't change his mind about anything. "Nothing to worry about, okay?" He smiled his really big, assuring smile and put his hand on her leg, squeezing it.

Olivia's eyes fell on her leg, where Elliot's big, masculine hand was. She re-adjusted her legs so he would have to move it.

Elliot nodded in silent understanding.

"You don't think maybe…it's about not having a dad, do you?" Olivia asked after a short silence, her brown eyes searching in Elliot's blue ones.

"What? Celia not talking?" Elliot's thick eyebrows crinkled together.

Olivia nodded. "She's asked a few times who her daddy is, and I told her I got her without a daddy. I told her I didn't have a daddy either, and she was happy. We were both alike, she said." A tear fell down Olivia's cheek, and before she could wipe it off, Elliot did.

"She doesn't need a dad." Elliot told her matter-a-factly. "She already has one hell of a mother." He grinned.

Olivia smiled back. "I try my best."

"And plus, she always has me, Fin, Munch, and Cap. We all love her to death." He reminded Olivia.

"Yeah." Olivia chuckled. "Her crazy extended family. I guess Fin would be her tough uncle that only has a soft spot for her. And Munch would be her weird, off-the-rocker uncle."

Elliot laughed. "That sounds about right."

"And Cragen's kind of like a grandfather to her!" Olivia laughed, thinking of how the old guy always got tired out really fast whenever Celia was around.

"Just don't tell him you called him that." Elliot said as he laughed, imagining their bosses face if they told him he was the grandpa of their little family.

"And you would be…" Olivia stopped, realizing she was about to say _dad_.

"Her dad?" Elliot suggested, just realizing this himself. He was kind of like a dad to the little girl.

Olivia looked at him and saw he was okay with that part. "Yeah, El, you would be like her dad."

Elliot smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "You know I would do anything for the kid, Liv."

"I know." Olivia smiled to herself, staring at the black screen of the TV.

"I love her like she's one of mine." He confessed, sounding completely sincere.

Olivia looked at him, nodding. "I know, El. I'm glad she has you in her life."

Elliot nodded and leaned back. "So if I'm her dad, and you're her mom, that would make _us_ married." He thought aloud, smirking.

"I get enough of you at work, I don't think I'd be able to handle that." Olivia smiled sleepily. "I don't know how Kathy did it for so long!"

Elliot just smirked at her. "You getting tired?"

She yawned. "Yeah, a little."

"I guess I'll go home then. Sleep tight, Liv." Elliot told her, walking towards the door.

Olivia sat up and turned around on the couch. "Elliot Stabler. First of all, you've had three beers since you got here. I am _not _letting you drive home. And second, it's almost eleven thirty! We've seen firsthand all the creeps that come out at night, I don't want you out there anyway."

Elliot grinned. "Okay, _mom._"

Olivia stood up and walked into the kitchen to wash out her thermos. "I'm just watching your back, El."

"Yeah, yeah." Elliot yawned, handing Olivia his almost empty beer bottle over the bar.

"You can sleep in my bed, I'll sleep on the couch." She told him, not looking up as she washed the thermos in the sink.

"No way! I'm not taking your bed from you, Liv."

"I insist." Olivia raised her eyebrows in her _you-better-do-what-I-say_ look.

"I'm not taking your bed." Elliot repeated, going to the linen closet in the hallway, grabbing a big blanket and a pillow, then plopping down on the couch to prove his point.

"Well, I'm not sleeping in my bed either." Olivia told him, grabbing a throw pillow and a thin blanket from the chair next to the couch. She lay it down on the floor and got down on it, laying flat on her back.

"Why are you so god damn stubborn?" Elliot asked, leaning over the side of the couch.

"Why won't you just sleep in my bed?" Olivia propped herself up on her elbow, facing him.

"Let me sleep on the floor, you sleep on the couch." He compromised, sitting up.

"No way, El! Your back's been hurting lately, and this'll make it even worse." She lay back down and got as comfortable as she could.

There were a few seconds of silence, then Elliot said, "Just come up here with me, Liv. The couch is big enough for the two of us, since someone refuses to sleep in their own bed."

Elliot wanted her to sleep on the couch _with_ him?

"You're right. We're both adults." Olivia said, more to herself than him. She stood up and went to the other end of the couch.

Her couch was about three feet deep and six feet long, so they both fit cozily on it, stretched out the entire length of the couch at different ends, Olivia's feet by his head, and Elliot's feet by Olivia's head. Elliot even let her under the big blanket when he noticed she was shivering. It was nice, kind of like a sleepover.

Except that Olivia's heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. Half of her body was pressed against Elliot. It felt nice, but also _weird._ It was weird to be so close to him. She had worked alongside him for twelve years now, sure, but she had never been this close to him for more than a few seconds. But she found herself smiling, and liking it. Whether it was just having a man sleeping next to her, or if it was just Elliot in general, Olivia didn't know. All she knew was that she could get very use to this.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Yay, some EO! (: Now their relationship will start developing, and so will Celia's issue, poor baby :(**

**Shoutout to courtneylovesjason: I'm the same way about reading fanfiction's that don't seem real, so that's a big compliment that you think I'm doing a good job of making mine sound real(:**

**I'll send a preview of chapter six to all reviewers (:**


	6. Finally

_"Mommy!"_

_ "Cece? Honey, where are you?" Olivia turned around, her eyes searching for her daughter. But there was only darkness._

_ "Mommy help me, please!" Cece cried, a sob following._

_ "Baby where are you? Tell mommy where you are!" Olivia screamed, her heart pounding._

_ "He's hurting me, mommy. Please help me!" Celia wailed, then screamed like someone had grabbed her._

_ "Celia!" Olivia's big brown eyes widened in horror, and she knew she couldn't help her child. She ran, trying to follow the direction of Celia's voice, but it came from all around her._

_ More screaming. "Mommy! Mommy, where are you? Why aren't you helping me!" Celia sobbed, her voice getting farther and farther away._

_ "Olivia!" This was a new voice, a male. "Liv! Liv, wake up!"_

Olivia's eyes shot open. Elliot was standing up next to her, looking worried. He crouched down next to her and rubbed her shoulder. "It was just a dream, Liv." He told her, his deep voice comforting like he was talking to one of his kids.

Her heart was still pounding in her chest, just like in the dream. Olivia nodded numbly, her eyes locking with Elliot's. A tear slid down her cheek and onto the couch. Then another, then another. Her breathing got shaky and she broke eye contact with Elliot, instead staring at the wall beyond his shoulder.

"Shh, shh." Elliot soothed, getting onto the couch and pulling Olivia into his arms. He wrapped both arms around her tightly, bringing her as close to him as he could. One of his hands rubbed back and forth on her arm, the other held still against her thigh.

After five minutes of Olivia's silent crying in Elliot's arms, Elliot said, "It's okay, Liv, it's okay."

"No," she sniffed, "it's not." She tried to sit up, but Elliot held her where she was.

"Yes it is, Liv." He told her, resting his nose on the crown of her head and breathing her in. "It's all going to be okay."

Olivia shook her head no. "Cece isn't okay. I know my daughter."

Elliot breathed deeply. "But she will be okay. She's a tough cookie, just like her mom."

"I wanna kill whoever hurt her feelings." Olivia said through her teeth, picturing some little five-year-old with low self-esteem picking on her little girl.

Elliot chuckled.

"I'm serious!" Olivia turned her head so she could face Elliot, her face inches from hers. He could smell the coffee on her breath. Her tears had stopped, barely any trace that they had ever been there.

"I know you are." Elliot grinned. "I'll help you bury the body." He added seriously.

Olivia smiled broadly. "Aw, that's sweet of you, El."

Elliot smiled back, his eyes alive and sparkling. "You're the only thing I've got, Liv. I'd do anything for you."

Olivia blinked, staring straight into his eyes. If she could just bring her face a few inches closer…

Elliot beat her to it. He brought his lips down on hers, kissing her a little longer than he had the time a few nights ago. He pulled away, a hungry look in his eyes. Olivia smiled a little, her eyes dancing.

"Is that all you got?" she raised her eyebrows playfully, her voice low.

Elliot smiled and flipped them over so Olivia was laying down on her back with him on top of her. He kissed her again, harder. Olivia's hands raked his back, then ran through his short hair. His hands were everywhere.

Olivia could taste Elliot better now, smell him better, feel him better, and, even though her eyes were closed, she could see him better. He tasted like mint toothpaste, with a kind of salty twist. He smelled like aftershave and his apartment, which Olivia found soothing. She could feel all the weight of him, all his muscles through his thin white t-shirt, and feel his big hands in her hair, on her waist, on her face. And what she saw… She saw the look in his eyes when he had run to her side after that pedophile had tried to slit her throat that day at the train station a few years ago. She saw the way he lit up every morning when she walked into the precinct, or when she answered the door when he was visiting. She saw the angry look he always got on his face whenever a guy would check Olivia out while they were together. She saw it all, _finally._

* * *

><p>Olivia woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains directly onto her eyes. She yawned and looked around. She smiled when she realized Elliot was right behind her, his arm wrapped protectively around her. She turned her head so she could see his face. His grip tightened around her, but she managed to turn far enough.<p>

Elliot looked so different when he slept. When he was awake he had worry lines, and most of the time he looked angry or upset. But when he was asleep, his face was worry-free. He wasn't smiling, but he looked happy. Olivia liked seeing him like that.

Suddenly realizing it was Thursday, and she and Elliot both had to work, she craned her neck so she could see the time on the cable box under the TV. _6:04._ She usually got up at 6:30. She lay back down for a few minutes, listening to Elliot's steady breathing and staring at his Marines tattoo on his forearm that was draped across her stomach. After a few minutes of lying there aimlessly, she got up, being careful not to wake Elliot.

Celia looked angelic while she slept. If you looked at her, you would think she's a normal, happy kid. She looked completely normal, like a worn-out ball of energy. Olivia smiled as she stroked her daughter's cheek lightly. She could picture Celia waking up and smiling. _"Mommy? I love you!"_ she would say, her adorable smile bringing out the dimple on her chin. Olivia would hug her and tell her she loved her too, then maybe tickle her.

_No._ Olivia thought, her smile instantly leaving. Celia wouldn't wake up smiling and giggling. She would wake up silent and haunted, like she had for the last two days. Olivia swallowed, hating that she didn't know what was wrong with Celia. She wished she could take her pain away, deal with it for her.

If only she could.

* * *

><p>Olivia woke Elliot up at 6:30, then had him come in with her to wake up Celia, hoping she would be so happy to see him that she would talk. But she didn't. She just looked confused. Elliot was great though, he tried all kinds of things to get her to talk. She didn't, though. When they were leaving the apartment, Elliot said, "Huang will figure it out." Olivia believed him.<p>

Elliot took his car back to his apartment so he could change out of his clothes from yesterday-and it would be hard to explain coming in _with _Olivia. Last night was something they both silently agreed to keep a secret, at least for the time being. They had kissed for hours, but didn't go further. They both knew they had all the time in the world for that. Now that they had gotten the physical need for each other out, they just had to actually _talk _about it out loud, admit it with words. But for now, they were both comfortable, shooting each other smiles and accidently-on-purpose bumping into each other.

"Are you excited to see Finny and Munchie, honey?" Olivia smiled, looking in the rearview mirror at Celia. She had let Elliot dress her in a pink and yellow wide striped oversized shirt, with matching solid pink leggings. Olivia had braided her hair into two neat, traditional braids that rested on her shoulders. She looked so cute.

Celia nodded a little bit, not smiling. This morning she had started to acknowledge when Elliot and Olivia talked to her, just by nodding or shaking her head. She still wasn't speaking, but it was something.

"I know George is really excited to see you too." Olivia added, smiling when she saw the corners of Celia's lips twitch into a tiny, barely noticeable smile; Celia always loved seeing Huang at the precinct-he was always calmer than everyone else there, and he asked her a lot of questions, which she used to love answering. She didn't have favorites, but she spent the most time with him when she went to work with her mom.

Less than ten minutes later they pulled into the parking garage of the precinct, and Olivia helped Celia out of her car seat. They held hands as they walked into the precinct, went up the elevator, and came out at SVU.

"Celia! What's up little _munch_kin?" Munch laughed at his own joke from his desk, being the first to spot Olivia's daughter. He got up and walked over to them, reaching down to scruff Celia's hair. Celia backed away, scrunching her nose.

"She's a little weird lately about people." Olivia whispered, hoping Celia wasn't hurting Munch's feelings.

"Well look who it is!"

Celia turned around, still holding Olivia's hand. Detective Tutuola was coming at her, a huge smile on his face, which was rare for him.

"How you doing, baby girl?" Fin picked Celia up, and Celia didn't mind. She even smiled a little bit at him. "Rough night?" he asked Olivia, seeing how un-made-up she was.

After getting Celia ready, eating cereal with Elliot and Celia, and everything she had done this morning, Olivia hadn't really had time to get ready. She had to do her makeup at stoplights on the way to work, and hadn't gotten to brush her teeth.

"Rough morning." Olivia corrected, feeling herself blush a little as she thought about last night, with Elliot on the couch. Celia was reaching for her, so she grabbed her from Fin, kissing her cheek when she put her on her hip. "Aren't you glad you came to work with mommy?" she asked Celia, who buried her head in Olivia's shoulder in response.

Fin and Munch shot each other a look saying _something's off._

If only they knew the half of it.

* * *

><p>By the time Huang got to work it was noon. Elliot had left with Fin around eleven after they got a lead on Emily Dunkin's killer, and Munch was out to get lunch for everyone at the station. Olivia sat at her desk with Cece on her lap, reading her a Dr. Suess book she had found in Huang's office.<p>

"Olivia." Huang said, appearing next to her desk. "Hi, Celia." He smiled calmly. "How are you today?"

Celia didn't answer. She pulled her bottom lip under her top one and stared up at him.

"Do you and your mommy want to come and talk to me for a little while?" he asked her quietly, his eyes warm.

Celia looked to Olivia, as if to say _can we?_ Olivia smiled and nodded. Celia looked back to the doctor and nodded a little, doing the thing with her lip again. She hopped off Olivia's lap and immediately reached for her hand. Huang looked worried when he saw that. The three of them started towards Huang's office, when suddenly the station filled with noise. Celia jumped into her mother's arms, burying her face in Olivia's neck.

"I didn't kill that little brat, she was just my neighbor, I SWEAR!" a loud voice said, coming in the direction of the elevators.

Olivia turned and saw Elliot and Fin pushing a scruffy looking guy in his late twenties into the main room, going towards Olivia, Celia, and Huang.

"Then why the hell are your prints on her backpack?" Elliot thundered, pushing the guy. "Yeah, we found that, Frank! Guess you didn't do such a good job of hiding it."

Celia looked up at the sound of Elliot's voice. When she looked up her eyes met Frank's, just as he was getting pushed past them, a few feet away. Her mouth fell open and she looked ready to scream, but she pushed her head back into Olivia instead, shaking.

Olivia looked around, wondering what had happened. She bounced her daughter gently, rubbing her back. "It's okay, baby, it's okay." She whispered. "Shhh."

Huang nodded, witnessing the whole thing. "Come on." He led Olivia the rest of the way to his office.

Celia had stopped crying by the time they got there, and she let Olivia put her down on the couch.

"Celia, is it okay if I talk to you alone for a few minutes?" George sat down next to Celia.

Celia looked at her mom, then at him, and nodded a little.

Olivia's jaw clenched. She reminded herself that Huang knew what he was doing.

"Go help Elliot and Fin." He instructed.

Nodding, Olivia left the room. She could see through the blinds, but it wasn't an interrogation room, so she couldn't hear what was going on. She decided to go help Elliot and Fin, glad she had something to do.

When Olivia got to the double-sided mirror at the interrogation room Elliot already looked fired up and ready to bash the guy's head in.

"We know you did it. We know all about how you raped that little girl, then strangled her, then left her in an alley, Frank." Elliot slapped down the picture of Emily Dunkin on the metal table in front of Frank.

Olivia smiled at Elliot's words, knowing that he was beyond happy for getting this guy, and that all he had to do was get the confession.

Frank looked at the picture. "No, I didn't rape her or kill her. I've barely even said two words to her!" Now Olivia could hear he had a thick accent, probably lived in New York his whole life.

Fin shook his head disapprovingly at Frank. "I'll go get Detective Benson to deal with you." He said, making it sound like a threat. He got out of the chair and walked out of the room. "Hey, Liv!" he said as soon as he walked out, looking happily surprised. "We got this guy." He nodded toward the two-way window Olivia was looking in on.

"Who's Benson? Is that the lady cop?" Frank raised his eyebrows.

Elliot sat down on the chair Fin had been in. "Yeah, that's her." He said in a _so? _voice.

Frank smiled and cracked his knuckles. "Damn is she hot, or what?"

Elliot's jaw set. Olivia saw him grip the tables edge, and Frank saw it too.

"I wouldn't mind talking to her, maybe getting her number after this is all cleared up." Frank wiggled his eyebrows provocatively. "She had a cute daughter too."

Elliot looked up, meeting the guy's eyes. His own eyes were on fire, daring this guy to keep talking.

He leaned in close to Elliot. "Now, I didn't kill Emily Dunkin, but if I was the guy who did, I would take that little girl next."

In less than a second Elliot had knocked the guy to the ground. He got on top of him and pounded on his face, blood on his knuckles within the first two punches. He was raging, so pissed all he could see was red. All he wanted to do was kill this guy. Kill, kill, kill.

"El!" Olivia burst into the room, trying to pull Elliot off of Frank. But he didn't budge.

"Go away, Olivia!" he yelled, continuing to beat Frank. Frank's nose was spurting blood, and his right eye was already swelling shut. His lip was busted, and he had blood coming from his mouth.

"El, get off!" Olivia tried again to pull him off, but she got hit by one of Elliot's flying arms and flew back against the wall.

Elliot didn't stop, he didn't even notice.

Fin rushed in after Olivia and pulled Elliot off, pushing him towards the door. "Get outta here." He told him.

Olivia stared at Elliot. She had seen him lose his temper _many _times before, but never like that. Frank was probably going to die. Elliot stared at Frank, bleeding out on the floor, his fists still clenched so tight his knuckles were white under all the blood. Normally, Olivia would call for a bus, but she knew everyone on their floor had heard the commotion, and someone had already called. And Olivia couldn't even think about that. She could only focus on one thing.

She knew what had happened to Celia.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**OH MY GOD YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I WAS TO WRITE ABOUT THE SCENE ON THE COUCH. I honestly wasn't planning on having that happen so soon, but as I was writing the part after Liv's nightmare it just kind of happened, and it felt right. I was so worried that I wouldn't do their relationship justice, and I didn't want it to be too far from something that would actually happen on the show, so just kissing seemed right. What do you think?**

**Review for a preview of chapter sevennnn :)**


	7. Realization

"Elliot, my office, NOW!" Cragen yelled from down the hall.

Elliot stared at Frank angrily, looking ready to pounce again, for a few more seconds, then followed the Captain's orders and left. Olivia sat still on the floor, not even listening to Fin as he asked Frank standard questions about his injuries Elliot had caused. Quite honestly, she was glad he had beat the bastard. But she didn't know-or want to know-what that meant for his job.

Celia had been attacked. She knew it. Her little, sweet girl had been harassed, and possibly raped. She couldn't believe this was happening. She got up and ran back to Huang's office, throwing the door open and standing under the threshold. She looked at Celia, who was coloring in a princess coloring book, tears in her eyes. How could she have let this happen? "I need to talk to you." She told George, her voice shaky.

The doctor nodded and got up from the chair he sat in next to Celia. "I'll be right back, Celia." He told the little girl with a small smile, and then followed Olivia out the door.

"Someone attacked her." Olivia said as soon as Huang closed the door behind them.

Taking a breath, Huang nodded once. "I asked her if someone was being mean to her and she shook her head no. Then I asked her if someone had hurt her and told her not to tell anyone, and the way she reacted told me it was true. How did you know?"

"I'm her mother." Olivia shook her head and put one hand on her forehead. "I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out."

Huang sensed the self-blame in her voice. "Olivia, you can't blame yourself. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it."

Olivia looked up at him in disbelief. "How about not enrolling her at a pedophile preschool? How about making sure all the teachers' backgrounds checked out? How about being less wrapped up at work so I could concentrate on my own daughter?"

Huang put his hand on her shoulder. "This is about Celia, Liv. We'll get her to tell us who did it and we'll catch him."

"Oh, I'm gonna do more than catch this son of a bitch."

* * *

><p>"Cece, baby, did someone hurt you? Is that why you won't talk to mommy?" Olivia asked her daughter softly, pushing her hair back.<p>

Olivia sat with Celia on her lap on the couch in Huang's office, and Huang sat on the chair across from them, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

Celia's face turned scared, upset looking. Tears filled her eyes.

"Did he tell you not to tell anyone?" Huang asked knowingly, his voice sympathetic.

Celia nodded quickly. She was starting to look really nervous, her eyes darting back and forth uncertainly.

"Celia, no matter what he said, it's okay to tell us. He can't hurt you now." Huang promised her, his voice soft.

Celia shook her head slowly, her eyes fixed on something far away. She looked at Olivia for guidance.

"I promise I won't let _anyone _hurt you _ever_ again, baby." A tear fell down Olivia's cheek. "You have to tell us who hurt you, sweetie."

The little girl didn't look convinced. She breathed unevenly through her nose, biting her lip.

Olivia's heart beat fast in her chest. "Honey, you know how my job is to catch bad guys?" she asked Celia quietly.

Celia looked up at Olivia and nodded.

"Well I catch bad guys like the one that hurt you. If you can just tell us who did it then we can catch him and put him in jail. For a very long time." Olivia explained, her voice pleading. "Who hurt you, sweetie?"

Celia looked over at Huang who nodded for her to go on. She blinked hard a couple of times and her chin quivered. And then, Celia spoke.

"Mister Toby. He hurt me lots of times, mommy."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Finally, she speaks! Sorry the chapter was so short, but the fast update should make up for that, right? Review with ideas of what 'Mister Toby' did to her and what you think will happen to Elliot!**

**And again, review = preview :)**


	8. The Truth

_"Mister Toby. He hurt me lots of times, mommy."_

Olivia's heart stopped. It was true. Her daughter had been attacked. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

"He made me take off my undies and he touched me there. It hurt _weally _bad mommy." She told Olivia, her chin quivering. "He put his fingers inside of me and made me take off my shirt. I didn't like that! He said I liked it, but I didn't, mommy, I didn't like it! He hurt me so bad."

"Does Mister Toby work at your school?" Huang asked Celia, his face giving away no emotion at all.

Celia nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. "P-pwease don't t-tell him I told you." She started crying, her little shoulders shaking.

"Oh, sweetheart." Olivia turned her daughter so she was holding her like a baby, squeezing her tightly. Just like Celia, tears rolled down her own cheeks, but she tried to stop them, tried to be strong for Cece.

"Don't worry, Celia, he can't hurt you. Did he say he would hurt you if you told someone?" Huang asked after Celia had calmed down a little.

"No." Celia sniffed. "He said he was gonna hurt my mommy. He said he was gonna kill her if I told anyone. He said it was gonna be all my fault if she died!" She went into a new round of tears. "Don't let him kill my mommy!"

Olivia pushed her daughter's hair back gently, more tears coming from her eyes, too. "Sweetie, this is _not _your fault. It isn't your fault at all. It's all his fault. Don't think it's yours. And no one's going to hurt me, baby, I promise. No one's going to hurt me or you ever again."

Celia started sobbing, wrapping her tiny, frail arms around Olivia's neck and putting her face in her short hair. Her little body shook uncontrollably, and her breathing was shallow and shaky.

"I'll give you some time." Huang stood up and walked out, closing the door behind him softly.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." Celia said into her daughter's hair. "He'll never touch you again. You'll be okay." She kissed the crown of her daughter's head. "We'll be okay."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Elliot sat on the worn-in chair across from his boss of almost thirteen years, his vision glazed over and adrenaline running through his veins. Cragen was talking, but he wasn't listening.<p>

"Elliot? _Elliot._" Don leaned forward with his hands on his desk, annoyed. "Are you even listening to me?"

Barely looking up, Elliot met the captain's eyes.

"Give me one reason not to fire you on the spot."

Who the hell did that asshole think he was? Telling Elliot he would _rape _and _kill_ Celia. Cute, innocent little Celia. If he hadn't been stopped, Elliot _would _have killed the sorry son of a bitch. Celia was like one of his own daughters; he could not even begin to think about anyone hurting her. And if anyone ever did he wouldn't be able to be stopped when he got to them. It made him mad just to think about Frank. God, he wish he could have just hit him a few more-

"Elliot!" Cragen yelled, snapping Elliot out of his trance.

Elliot rubbed his hands over his blue dress pant-clad knees. "Sorry, I'm a little distracted at the moment."

The old man shook his head. "Elliot, if I don't take your job, it's gonna cost me _my_ job. Do you understand that?"

Elliot hung his head.

Cragen stood up. "I'm sorry, Elliot. I wish I didn't have to do this. Please turn in your badge and gun." He stuck his hand out, waiting for Elliot to hand him over his police equipment.

Elliot looked up at him in awe. "Cap, you can't do this. Do you know what that guy said to me?" he stood up to, getting angry.

"It doesn't matter what he said, all that matters is what you did."

Taking a step toward the desk Don was behind, Elliot pointed his finger at him. "He basically confessed to Emily Dunkin's murder-"

"That doesn't give you an excuse to beat-"

"And he told me that he would take Celia and Olivia next!" Now Elliot was yelling, and very angry. His face was red, the veins in his neck bulging. He clenched his fists, imagining killing the bastard.

Don looked shocked. His mouth hung open a little bit, and he looked too surprised to speak.

Elliot nodded, still shaking with anger. "I would've done way more if-"

"That's enough, Elliot." The captain held up a hand, silencing him. "I'll think about it. We'll see if we can make a deal with him. You're off work for a week though, no pay. And that's _not _negotiable." His voice had a _that's final _sound to it.

Someone knocked on the door and let himself in. It was Huang. "Elliot, I think Olivia needs you right now."

Elliot's eyebrows furrowed. "Why? Is she okay?"

Huang nodded. "She will be."

"What happened? Where is she? Where's Celia?" Elliot was really worried now.

"They're in my office. Just go." He stepped out of the way and let Elliot by.

Cragen didn't even bother to yell after Elliot to tell him to hand over his badge; he knew it wouldn't do any good. "What happened to Liv?" he asked Huang instead.

Huang gave him a sad look. "Celia was attacked at her preschool."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Okay, I know it is another shorter chapter, sorry! Originally, I wrote this like twice as long, but it was too much, so I split it into two chapters. But, that means a sooner update! Maybe even tonight, depending on how many reviews this chapter gets... hint hint ;)**

**And, one more thing, I wanted to make a shout out to some of my amazinggg reviewers!**

**courtneylovejason: thank you for the idea about El & the captain!**

**LauraMF3: In chapter 6 all Elliot and Olivia did was kiss. It said "They had kissed for hours, but didn't go further." Glad you're liking the story!**

**review = preview :)**


	9. Rage

"Liv." Elliot whispered in awe when he walked into George's office, seeing Olivia holding Cece on the couch. She was an absolute mess. Tears and eyeliner ran down her face in streaks. She looked broken and distraught. And Celia was in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. He immediately ran to them and wrapped his arms around Olivia, who completely melted into him. "What happened, Liv?" he soothed, rubbing her shoulder.

Olivia shook her head, but couldn't talk. She leaned against Elliot and cried, still not letting up on her tight grip on Celia. It felt good to be held by Elliot, but she still felt like she had just been stabbed in the heart. After all, her four-year-old daughter had been hurt by a pedophile and it was _all her fault._

"Please talk to me, Liv." Elliot begged, looking down at the top of her head. "Please. Tell me what happened."

Celia was still sobbing, and now she was coughing hard. It sounded like she was in pain. Olivia pat her back and rubbed it in soothing circles.

Olivia finally looked up at Elliot once Celia's coughing had ceased. "One of her teachers sexually assaulted her." She whispered, her voice breaking as she started to cry again.

Elliot's blood ran cold. He couldn't think straight. His arms tightened, painfully, around Olivia and she stiffened, but he didn't notice. Someone had actually hurt her? What Frank had said had pissed him off, but he knew Frank would never be able to get her. But someone already _had._ Now it made sense. The way Celia had been extra clingy to him when he had picked her up the day she had stopped talking. The way she had been so eager to leave school and have Elliot hold her. The look on her face when he had asked her how her day was. He cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. He stared straight ahead. "Who fucking did it."

Olivia looked up at him in shock. She had only heard Elliot say that word a couple of times, and she knew it meant he was ready to shoot someone. Literally. "El, I have to go get him. Now." She pulled Celia's arms from around her neck. "Cece, baby, I have to go do something, okay? Can you stay with Elliot for a little while?" it killed her to think about leaving Celia, but she _had _to get this guy _now._

Celia looked up at her in horror. "Don't leave me!" she cried, clinging to her more.

Olivia took a deep breath and pulled Celia off of her, handing her to Elliot. Her heart broke as she handed her daughter over. Celia immediately clung to Elliot, crying into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, baby. I promise this is the last time I'll leave you." She promised quietly, kissing her forehead. "El, take her back to my place, please. I think she needs to be home right now."

"I'm going with you." Elliot said flatly, like he was absolutely _going _to.

Olivia shook her head. "I don't trust anyone else with Celia. Please, El. I'll let you take a crack at the guy as soon as I get him."

Elliot's jaw was clenched tight. He wanted to punch something, anything. "Fine. Go. I'll get her home."

She sent Elliot a thankful and apologetic look. "I love you so much, baby. I'll see you soon." She told Celia, then kissed her head and left.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Celia had calmed down and fallen asleep in Elliot's arms. He was still so mad he could barely think, but he knew he had to get Celia home, and that if he did go after Liv to help her, he would probably lose his job. Not that he really cared about his job anymore. All he wanted to do was literally <em>kill <em>the guy that had hurt Celia.

He told the captain he was leaving, and got sad looks from everyone he passed by on the way out. Apparently the news had traveled fast about what had happened to Celia. Fin looked solemn and Munch looked like he didn't believe it. They both stared at him for a few seconds before going back to researching 'Mister Toby', who Huang had told them about. Huang assured Elliot that Toby Yates would be arrested in the next few hours, which made Elliot feel a tiny bit less angry. It made him twice as angry though, when Huang told him that he wanted to see him for an "anger assessment" tomorrow before work. The whole unit had abandoned all other cases to find information, home address, previous jobs, everything about the guy who hurt Celia.

Celia did _not _want to let go of Elliot when they got to his car. She woke up and cried, getting a strong grip with her legs around Elliot's waist. She did not want him to put her down. He finally convinced her to let him put her down by promising when they got back to the apartment she could hold onto him for the rest of the night. She reluctantly let him go, and let Elliot buckle her into the car seat he kept in the backseat of his car for Eli. She looked out the window silently the whole way back. Elliot considered following Olivia to the preschool so he could personally take care of this guy, but he knew he couldn't leave Celia alone in the car, and he wouldn't dare take her anywhere near that preschool ever again.

"Are you hungry?" Elliot asked her as he opened the door to Olivia's apartment with the "Emergency Key" Olivia had given him about a year ago. "I make a mean mac 'n cheese." He tried to sound happy, instead of completely raged. He just couldn't stop picturing this sweet little girl getting attacked. The fact that it was Olivia's daughter—part of her—made it even worse.

"No thanks, Elliot." Celia replied very quietly, _thanks _coming out as _'danks'_ and _Elliot _coming out as _'Ewwiot'._

Elliot smiled for the first time since he had said bye to Olivia and Celia that morning at the precinct. "If you change your mind, just tell me, okay?"

Celia nodded. "When is mommy coming home? Is she gonna be okay?"

"Very soon, kiddo. She's fine. Do you know how brave your mommy is?" Elliot asked her, smiling a little. Celia smiled, like she was proud of her mom. "How about we go get you in your jammies and watch a movie in your mommy's bed?"

"Okay." She cuddled into Elliot's neck sleepily. She usually took a nap around this time.

Elliot smiled bigger now, loving holding Celia like this. He started walking toward her bedroom. "Maybe we can even have some pizza goldfish a little later, if you want."

"Okay. I love you, daddy." She whispered, her big brown eyes staring straight into Elliot's.

Elliot's heart melted, just like it always did when his own kids called him daddy and told him they loved him. "I love you too, Cece."

Elliot opened the door to Celia's room and sat down on the twin bed. He didn't even notice that the fire escape window was open in the hall. "Why don't you go pick out your PJ's and I'll text your mommy to tell her we're home?"

Celia nodded and slowly got off of Elliot's lap, walking to her closet.

Elliot pulled out his phone and started to type a message, before something hard came down on the top of his head from behind him and he fell to the ground, the world going black. The last thing he heard was Celia screaming.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Cliffhanger! I'm evillllll :) But I already have next chapter written, so there will be an update veryyy soon!**

**review for a previewww :)**

**(about the preview thing, I'm assuming everyone that reviews wants one. But if you don't want a preview, just say so, okay? Some people like to wait till the actual chapter comes out!)**


	10. Gone

Usually when she was in a hurry to arrest someone, Olivia just sped an extra couple of miles over the speed limit. But this time she was in such a hurry that she had taken out the sirens and lights, easily maneuvering her way around traffic. She couldn't wait to punch this sorry excuse for a man in the face. She would let Elliot punch him a few times too, just for good measure. And then arrest him, and get him put away for life.

God, she still couldn't believe it. Celia had been harassed. She wasn't raped, and Olivia was thankful of that, but from what her daughter had said, it was just as bad. It was all her fault. She had checked all the teachers backgrounds. But not enough. She should have made sure there wasn't any rapists working there. How could she have been so stupid? She was a god damn detective, and she hadn't even paid enough attention to her daughter to know she had been sexually assaulted at the tender age of four. Celia was so young. Olivia couldn't even wrap her mind around what had happened. She was completely numb, just staring straight ahead on the road and focusing on catching the guy. She wasn't even thinking about what Celia had told her-she was going to be tough for Celia. She had to be.

With the sirens on, it took her less than three minutes to get to Kiddie Campus. She got out of the car and slammed the door behind her, jogging into the little office. When she got out of the car she had a text from Fin, saying that Toby had charges of sexually harassing two girls in New Hampshire, and he had done five years for the crime. That made her more mad-he had been harassing for years it sounded like, and she was sure Celia wasn't his only recent victim. She flashed her badge and let herself behind the half-wall gate.

"Oh, Miss Benson! I don't think Celia is here today, is she?" the mid-thirties, bored receptionist asked, her too-thin eyebrows creasing under her rectangular-framed glasses.

"No, she's not. But right now I'm Detective." She told her flatly. "I'm looking for Toby Yates?" Just saying his name made her want to throw up.

The receptionist frowned. "Sorry, he didn't come in today."

Olivia's heart stopped. "What do you mean he didn't come in today? Doesn't he have to come in every day?" she came off angry.

Taken aback at Olivia's mean tone, the receptionist shrugged. "He's just a part time helper. He's not certified to teach, so he only comes in when he can. I assure you, he is a wonderful man."

"You have someone not certified working here?" Olivia asked in disbelief, her cop personality taking over.

"Well, Miss-"

"_Detective_."

"-we do extensive background checks on all of our employees, Toby included. He is a valued employee here at Kiddie Campus, we are very lucky to have him." The girl looked bored with Olivia, like she was just another annoying, over-protective mother.

"Extensive background checks? Then you saw that Toby Yates had two charges of sexual harassment on minors, right?" Olivia asked incredulously, seriously pissed with this know-it-all.

"He served time for that, and it was a misunderstanding." The receptionist smacked her gum.

"Misunderstanding? Are you really that ignorant? He's sexually assaulting little girls _here_." Olivia said angrily, her eyes narrowed. "He harassed my daughter."

The receptionist's mouth fell open. "Oh, I'm so sorry Miss Benson. If there's anything I can do, please, just tell me."

Olivia shook her head and turned around to leave. "We'll be back for investigating. If Toby comes here call the police and don't let him near any of the kids." She stopped in the doorway. "And it's Detective to you, bitch." And then she left.

She dialed Fin's cell and he picked up on the second ring. "Fin, I need Yates's address. He wasn't at the school today."

"Go figure." Fin dead-panned, then tapped a few computer keys and told Olivia the address. "You want some backup?"

"If you could meet me there that'd be great." Olivia ducked into her car and shut the door. "Thanks, Fin."

* * *

><p>"This is it." Fin whispered huskily, stopping door number twenty eight.<p>

Olivia drew her gun. "Let's go meet the son of a bitch that hurt my daughter." She kicked the door open, not following standard procedure. She led the way inside, moving faster than normal.

The place was a dump. Hardly any furniture. No personal items. But tons and tons of video tapes, all over the place, along with what seemed like thousands of beer cans. Fin picked up one of the tapes. "Looks like Toby has lots of homemade kiddie porn."

Olivia shook her head, disgusted. _Celia might be on one of those tapes_, she realized. But she couldn't think about that right now. Now she had to concentrate on getting this guys sorry ass. She walked down a narrow hallway that smelled horrible, putting her ear to what she guessed was the bedroom door. No sound. She opened it, holding her gun in front of her. The room was empty. There was a double bed and one old dresser with a small TV on top of it, with more tapes that had to be kid porn.

"Damn! We could get this guy just with his stash of kid porn." Fin said, having followed Olivia in.

"He cleaned out his drawers." Olivia said, walking over and pushing in all the empty drawers on the dresser.

"Nothin' in here, either." Fin had his head poked in the closet.

"Why would he take everything? Where's he going?" Olivia didn't understand. Her phone started ringing, and she guessed it was Elliot, calling to tell her him and Cece were home safe. Just what she needed, something to cheer her up. If that was even possible. "Hey, El, how's Cece?"

"Gone." Elliot's voice was distraught. It sounded like he was fumbling for something, maybe putting on his shoes or something. "She's gone, Liv."

Olivia paused. Her heart sped up. "What do you mean she's gone?" her voice broke. "Where is she?"

"He took her! I'm so sorry, Liv. He must've been in the apartment when we got here and he knocked me out, and took Cece." Elliot said quickly, sounding madder than ever. "I swear I am going to fucking KILL this guy when I get my hands on him."

"She can't be gone, Elliot!" Olivia cried, tears filling her eyes.

Fin took a step closer to her, worried. "What's goin' on?" he whispered.

"Liv, we're going to find her. I promise. Meet me at the precinct."

Olivia nodded numbly and said, "We have to find her, El."

"We will, I promise Liv. Trust me, okay?"

"I trusted you with my daughter and look how that turned out." She muttered bitterly before hanging up. She didn't mean to be so blunt with her partner, it was just after everything she had gone through that day, she couldn't really control what came out of her mouth. Fin gave her a weird look. "Celia was abducted from my apartment."

Fin's face hardened. "We're gonna get her back. C'mon, Liv." He started to guide her out of the ratty apartment, dialing the precinct. Olivia blinked, in shock, as they ran out. She couldn't comprehend what was happening, really.

Cragen picked up on the third ring. "Special Victims Unit."

"Cap, it's me. Celia's gone. I want every motherfuckin' cop in New York lookin' for her."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**I love Fin :) nothing that important happened in this chapter, it was just kind of to show you what happened to Olivia while Elliot took Celia back to the apartment & while El was knocked out and all... Yeahhh :) you can all thank edge15684 for the quick update!**

**Oh, and A HUNDRED AND FIVE REVIEWS FOR NINE CHAPTERS? You are all, seriously, THE best reviewers everrrr. I'm glad you all are so into this story, it makes me write faster :) love you alll!**

**If you want something to read while you wait for next chapter, you should read my new story, called Liar, Liar. It's a complicated EO that I'm very excited about!**

**review for a preview :D**


	11. Feisty

Fin insisted on Olivia riding back with him to the precinct, saying she wasn't stable enough to drive. The truth was, she was stable. She couldn't feel anything. She was in a trance. An empty, glazed over trance. She wasn't sobbing uncontrollably or anything, just spaced out. Fin respected her space and didn't try to talk to her on the car ride there. But when they pulled up, he stopped Olivia from getting out of the car. "Take it easy on El, Liv." He told her. "He loves that kid like she's his own. He's never gonna forgive himself for this."

Olivia ignored him and got out of the car. As soon as the elevator doors opened there was chaos.

The whole place was flooded with cops. Every computer monitor had something to do with Toby Yates on it. Casey, Huang, even Melinda were all there, contributing something to the problem. Cragen was barking orders, looking over everyone's shoulders. Munch was hunched over, looking at a map on his desk. And Elliot was running towards Olivia, his face red and his lips a straight line. As soon as he got to her, he grabbed her, hugging her.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered so only she could hear.

Olivia pushed him away, side-stepping him and walking straight to the Captain. "Anything?"

Don turned to Olivia, frowning. "Not yet. But we're tracing his credit cards and looking for his car. We'll find them, Liv."

Olivia pushed her hair behind her ear. "What can I do to help?"

"Why don't you just relax? Sit down for a few minutes, I know this must be a lot for you." The old man looked at one of his favorite detective sympathetically.

"You know I can't do that." She scoffed. "I'd rather-"

"Yates just got cash from an ATM in Brooklyn!" someone shouted.

Everyone in the room got quiet for a second. Then, Elliot yelled, "Let's go, Liv."

Olivia's heart was racing. She ran to Elliot, willing to work with him to find her baby.

"I'll call the Brooklyn department and get them looking for his car and text you when we spot him!" Captain told them, following them to the elevator. "Don't do anything stupid." He said in a fatherly way just as the elevator doors closed.

Fin stepped up, addressing the whole room with his booming, deep voice. "What are you starin' at? Get back to work!"

* * *

><p>"Liv, please talk to me." Elliot looked over at his partner who was sitting in the passenger seat staring straight ahead next to him.<p>

Olivia's lips pressed together tightly. "Or else what? You'll get my daughter kidnapped?" she asked dryly.

Elliot gulped, tears coming to his eyes. "Olivia, he came up behind me. I didn't even know he was there! You really think-" he started to yell at her, then stopped when he noticed her crying. He had lost his temper and instantly hated himself for it. "Liv." He grabbed her hand. "Liv, I'm sorry."

Olivia didn't move her hand away. "I know it's not your fault." She said softly as she cried. "I'm sorry. It's just so much."

Elliot's face softened. He squeezed her hand. "It's not your fault either."

Just as Olivia was about to argue, her cell phone rang. She pulled it to her ear eagerly. "Benson."

"Hello, Olivia."

Olivia's eyebrows crinkled together. "Who is this?"

Elliot shot her a look.

The person on the other end laughed. "Toby Yates. You know, you're not very smart for a detective."

Olivia froze. "W-where is Cece?" she sputtered after a second.

Elliot's eyes widened. He pulled over and motioned for her to put it on speaker. She did.

"She's alive." Toby informed them. "Barely." He sounded amused.

Olivia's lips parted in shock. She was too stunned to speak. An image of Celia, her ankles and wrists bound together, stuffed in a trunk popped into her head.

"Yeah, she's a fighter. Feisty. I like that."

"Listen, you fucking piece of shit." Elliot growled, grabbing the phone. "If anything happens to Celia you are dead. Do you hear me? DEAD!"

Toby laughed jollily.

Olivia grabbed the phone back. "What do you want?"

Toby paused. "I want you to meet me at the Days Inn on Washington Street in thirty minutes. Come alone, or she dies. And don't bring your gun."

And then the line went dead.

Elliot and Olivia stared at each other in silence.

"I'm going alone." Olivia told him sternly.

Elliot pulled onto the street. Olivia noticed his tight grip on the steering wheel. "Like hell you are."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Dun dunnnn!**

**Does she go alone? Is it too late already? Will Liv ever forgive El?**

**Well I don't know yet, so tell me what you think! :)**


End file.
